Skip to main content

Clean in style with Black & Decker’s Orb-It cordless vacuum

black-and-decker-orb-it-vacuum
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Let’s face it: doing chores is a drag. But Black & Decker aims to add a dose of fun to the mix with its new Orb-It cordless vacuum cleaner.

As you might have guessed, the Orb-It is shaped like, well, an orb. When powered off, the mini vacuum looks nothing like any other vacuum cleaner we’ve ever seen. The handle and nozzle fold in, hiding the Orbi-It’s true functionality. If you didn’t know it was a mini vacuum cleaner, you would never guess it.

To start up the Orb-It, simple pull out the handle, and the nozzle automatically opens as well. The Orb-It can run for up to 8 minutes on a single charge of its lithium ion battery. The vacuum also comes with a 360-degree charging station, that actually has some style of its own. This means you can charge the Orb-It on your kitchen counter, for instance, without making the place look unsightly. A blue LED indicator light flashes while charging, and turns solid when the battery is fully powered.

At only 1.7 pounds, the Orb-It is light enough to clean up mini messes with ease. The dirt and grime land in the Orb-It’s 180ml dust bowl, which can be easily emptied just by opening the clear cover and pouring out the filth. And the included attachments make cleaning out your grimy keyboard a breeze.

The Orb-It comes in a variety of colors, including green, red, blue and black. Unfortunately, the product is currently only available in Europe, so all of you American clean freaks will just have to wait your turn. We haven’t yet heard when the US release will be.

[via DesignBuzz]

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Ecovacs upgrades the X2 Omni robot vacuum with a cordless vacuum attachment
The Ecovacs X2 Combo installed in a home.

The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni was one of our favorite robot vacuums of 2023, and it's becoming even more enticing later this year. The all-new Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo, which debuted during CES 2024, takes everything that made the X2 Omni special and bundles it with a cordless vacuum attachment, making it the first whole-home vacuum system designed by Ecovacs.

There isn't much new about the X2 Omni robot vacuum, though it's perfectly fine in its current form. Offering 8,000 Pa of suction, a square design to better clean edges, and the ability to lift its mops while traveling on carpet, the X2 Omni received a glowing review from Digital Trends that found it to be one of the best robot vacuums. It also boasts a docking station that automates most of your daily chores -- including emptying its dustbin and washing its mop with hot water before drying it with warm air.

Read more
The best cordless vacuums for pet hair, wood, and more

Old-school corded vacuums are great because they can run for longer and generally deal with more dust, but they can be bulky and hard to move around, and if you don't have a lot of outlets, it becomes a fight to find one. That's where cordless vacuums come in because they not only let you move about freely but can also be much lighter than a corded vacuum. Of course, there are some downsides, too, such as having a limited run time or a smaller dustbin, but those aren't necessarily dealbreakers, especially if you have a smaller home or are willing to buy a second battery to run a bit longer.
The Best Cordless Vacuums

Best overall cordless vacuum:
Best versatile cordless vacuum:
Best lightweight cordless vacuum:
Best mid-range cordless vacuum:
Best budget cordless vacuum:

Read more
Cordless vs. robot vacuums: which one should you buy?
iRobot Roomba i3+ (3550) Robot Vacuum and Braava jet m6 (6113) Robot Mop bundle showing all three major elements in a hallway.

When it comes to keeping your floors clean, robot vacuums and cordless vacuums are among the best products you can buy. Robot vacuums have become increasingly popular over the past few years -- thanks to premium models like the Ecovacs X2 Omni and Roborock S8 Pro Ultra -- but cordless vacuums offer plenty of advantages over their robotic counterparts.

Deciding between the two isn't easy, and thankfully, it's hard to make a wrong decision. Both are well-equipped to clean your floors, but there are some big trade-offs you'll have to make for each class. So, which is better? Robot vacuums or cordless vacuums?

Read more